€ Having a ski goggle adapted to your needs is essential to fully enjoy your ski/snowboard/ski touring outings... But sometimes you can be a little lost in the choice of ski goggle: polarised screen, photochromic, the different categories, treated and tinted lenses... With this article, we give you all the information to help you choose your ski goggle!
The ski goggle is really an essential part of your ski equipment, it is not only important to protect your eyes from the sun's radiation, to avoid being dazzled by the sun's reflection on the snow, but also to improve your vision on white days or to protect your eyes when it snows or hails. The ski mask also protects you from the cold and wind. So for those who are still hesitating, don't hesitate any longer, go ahead and buy a ski mask, your best ally for skiing in the mountains in winter!
We will guide you in the choice of your ski mask!
First of all, you have to choose the category of the ski screen according to the weather. It is indeed the first thing to look at so that your ski goggle is adapted to your practice.
Which glass to choose for your ski goggle?
1. The different categories of glass
There are 5 main categories to categorize ski mask shields. These categories allow you to choose lenses adapted to the weather, to your practice . The category of a lens depends on the amount of light (transmission rate) that passes through it.
- Category 0 ski goggles : More than 80% of light passes through these screens. They are non-tinted lenses generally used for night-time use.
- Category 1 ski goggles : Between 80% and 43% of visible light passes through these screens. Category 1 ski goggles are therefore designed for bad weather, during your ski outings in low light (white days) or when there is strong weather (snow, fog, wind, rain).
- Category 2 ski goggles : Screens that let more than 43% to 18% of the visible light through. They are recommended when the weather is mixed, when there is not too much sun or changing weather. They are fairly versatile lenses.
- Category 3 ski goggle : These screens let in between 18% and 8% of light. They are the most frequent glasses adapted for sunny days.
- Category 4 ski goggles : Less than 8% of light passes through this screen. It is a screen used rather rarely, it is adapted in very high altitude, on glaciers for example.
2. Is it necessary to choose a ski mask with a photochromic screen ?
The advantage of a photochromic ski goggle is that it adapts to all weather conditions, so you don't have to buy several goggles with different categories and plan for them during your ski sessions if the weather starts to turn.
Indeed, the photochromic screens react to UV rays and automatically adapt to the brightness of your playground. In other words, the photochromic screen gets darker with the sun and lighter with the clouds, so it goes from one category to another, it covers at least 2 categories but you can find one that covers 3 categories of lenses! Handy!
Ski goggles with photochromic screen can be found at the following brands : Julbo, Bollé, Smith, Oakley or Scott. Julbo remains the reference brand in this field with its Reactiv range.
3. Is it necessary to choose a ski goggle with a polarized screen?
Generally speaking, all ski goggles are equipped with a polarized screen. This is what guarantees more effective protection against the sun's reflection on the snow by blocking the dazzling rays. Polarized screens are like an anti-glare filter, and thus improve the contrasts to have a better vision of the relief.
The best combination is to have a screen that is both photochromic and polarized at the same time.
4. Which glass colors to choose?
In addition to the different categories and photochromic and polarized technology, ski goggle lenses also have different colors and again, this is not just a matter of aesthetics. The different tints also play a role in improving the perception of relief and optimising ambient light. So a role not to be minimized in the choice of your ski goggle for optimal viewing comfort!
An orange, pink or yellow screen accentuates the relief, especially in fog. With a yellow screen, you risk being dazzled if the sun makes a sudden breakthrough. Orange and pink lenses are therefore more versatile. The darker the tint of your screen, the more it protects you from brightness, so grey or brown lenses are more suitable when there is a lot of sunlight.
As for mirror effect lenses, their purpose is to reduce glare by reflecting the sun's rays. A plus!
Choosing the right ski goggle: comfort above all!
Now that you have chosen the category and tint of the screen adapted to your use and the weather conditions, you can concentrate on the comfort of the goggle, an equally essential element in choosing your ski goggle. To do this, we go through all the technical specifications to ensure you get the best ski goggle, guaranteed comfort for your ski outings this winter.
1. Choosing a ski goggle with a shape that is compatible with your ski helmet
¨Pour to be well in his ski mask, it is necessary obviously that the mask is adapted to your morphology and your ski helmet. There are goggles adapted for thin faces, for people who wear glasses, or even XL versions. When you try your goggle on with your ski helmet, you must not feel any discomfort in your nose area, nor a feeling that the ski helmet is pushing your goggle down, otherwise it is guaranteed discomfort. To be more sure of compatibility, choose a helmet and goggle of the same brand, but again, there is no guarantee, it depends on your face! So there's nothing better than trying different shapes to find out what suits you best.
Find all the alpine ski goggles.
2. The foam
You will probably see the terms "dual density foam", "triple density foam" or "single density foam". The frame of a ski goggle is covered with protective foam, and can be single, double or triple to enhance comfort and shock absorption. The thicker the foam, the more comfortable the goggle will be and the better it will absorb shocks. This foam must also fit your face to prevent fogging and provide you with all the comfort you need.
3. Ventilation
In order to prevent fogging inside your mask, ventilation of the ski mask is essential. The brands have designed their own technologies to optimize air circulation in ski goggles. Most ski goggles are equipped with passive vents, which are the vents found on the forehead bar, allowing a continuous flow of air to pass through. As you move up the range, you will find screens with more advanced technology for ventilation, such as Julbo's Superflow technology found in Aerospace and Airflux ski masks.
4. The anti-fog treatment
As a general rule, the screens of ski masks have effective treatments to counter fogging. To be sure to avoid condensation, opt for double shields. An air pocket will form between the two screens and will act as a thermal filter between the cold outside air and body heat, preventing condensation from forming.
5. The anti-scratch treatment
More and more ski goggle screens are also being treated to be scratch resistant. A tip for the maintenance of the goggle and to avoid scratches, use only a microfiber wipe.
